Improvement in hemmers for sewing-machines



FFICE..

PATE

HENRY ALLYN ELLIs, OE GREENB'UsH, AssieNoR To HIMsELE AND GEORGE s. WEAVER, OE ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEMMERS FOR SEWING-MACHlNES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,921, dated October 17, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I,v HENRY ALLYN ELLIs, of Greenbush, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Hemming Device for .Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, -in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device applied to a hemmer which is attached to the presser-foot ofa sewing-machine. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of the improved devi ce detached from the hemming device of the presser-foot. Fig. 4 is an elevation projected from Fig. 3.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements' which are applicable to hemmers that are applied to the presser-foot of a sewingmachine, and which are intended for gauging the different widths of hems it is desired to stitch and for accurately guiding the material up to the turning device on said presser-foot, thereby rendering unnecessary the work of folding and basting the material before stitching the folds down, as will be hereinafterexplained.

The following is a description of my invention: The presser-bar A, the forked presser-foot a., and its removable turner b may be constructed in the usual well-known manner. B represents a sheath or holder, which is perforated at t' for the passage of the sewing-machine needle, and which is constructed with jaws s s on its bottom side adapted to receive the forked arms of the presser-foot c, and thus form an attachment thereto. The sheath or holder B is scored out in front of the needlehole i to expose to view the turner b and leave a free space above this turner. This sheath. or holder is also constructed with a narrow thickened portion, g, the upper surface of which is grooved to receive and form a guide for the slotted strip G of the guiding and folding device. The sheath or holder B is also constructed with and offset, h, which extends from the thickened portion g, lies beneath the slotted strip C, and projects beneath the upturned end of the tinning device b. This offset h forms a support or bridge for the edge of the material on its vl ay to the turner b, and that portion of this offset l1l which projects beyond the slotted strip C is tapered and turned down, as shown in Fig. l, so that the edge of the material will not sag, but will be supported upon a smooth surface up to the very commencment of the devices b which turn under the edge of the material. The strip C is slotted longitudinallyT and is formed on a right angle, D J. The strip C is bent over the portion D so as to lie parallel to it, and the free end of this strip is hooked at c so as to catch over the straight edge of the tongue J, as shown in Figs. l and 4. The strip or tongue J, which is at right angles to the strips C D, and which may be made of any desired length, is intended to serve as a long guide for the hem for maintaining it at a given width during the feeding of the material beneath the needle. If desirable there may be another tongue formed on strip D so as to extend out in line with the tongue above describe-d, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2; or, if desirable, an extensionv may be made on the strip G with a hook on its end corresponding to and operating like the hook c, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2. By lneans of the thumb-screw c, which is tapped into the thickened portion g of the holder B, the device G D J can be secured fast to the holder B or adjusted for any desired width of hem.

Instead of applying the sheath B directly to the presser-foot c, as above described, the plate of the turner b may be constructed with offsets on it to receive the sheath B. When the device is adjusted for a given width of hem the cloth to be hemined is spread evenly upon the cloth-plate beneath the strip D and tongue J, and folded over the tongue so that the edge of the cloth will be received into the turner b. The hook c, on slotted strip C, is then adjusted beneath the edge of the tongue J, as shown in Figs. l and el, thus confining the cloth in place as far as the width of hem is concerned, but allowing the cloth to be fed forward beneath the needle during the operation of stitching. It will be seen that the turners b fold under the edge of the cloth in the usual manner, and that the tongue J gauges the width of hem required, at the same time serving, in conjunction with the retaininghook c, to guide and fold the hem and maintain a given width of hem. In this way and by this means any person Who can Work at asewing-macziine can hein with great rapidity and Without previously folding and basting the lienis.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The hooked strip C Aand right-angular strips D J in combination With a holder, B, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The strips C, D, and J, constructed substantially as described, and adj ustably connected to the holder B.

3. The combination of a folding and guidingtongue, J a retaining-hook, c, and a turning device, b, substantially as described.

4. The curved bridge h on the holder B, arranged so as to lie in front of the turner, in combination with the blding-tongue J, substantially as described.

HENRY ALLYN ELLIS.

Witnesses H. W. MAYHEW, J 1M STRoMs. 

